METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SHARING SPECTRUM IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

Abstract

A method and system for sharing spectrum in a wireless communications network are disclosed. As one example, a method for sharing spectrum is disclosed, which includes the steps of determining if two base stations in the wireless communications network are to share a frequency spectrum, and if two base stations in the wireless communications network are to share a frequency spectrum, determining if the two base stations in the wireless communications network have non-overlapping wireless communications coverage. Also, if the two base stations in the wireless communications network have non-overlapping wireless communications coverage, determining if a first mobile communications unit associated with a first base station of the two base stations has wireless communications coverage that overlaps with wireless communications coverage of a second mobile communications unit associated with a second base station of the two base stations, and if the first mobile communications unit has wireless communications coverage that overlaps with wireless communications coverage of the second mobile communications unit, enabling the two base stations to use a synchronized parallel operation spectrum sharing mode for communications. Also, a Contention-for-being-Master approach is disclosed as one primary method for sharing spectrum, which can be treated separately from all other contention methods, or combined with the exemplary contention method disclosed herein.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict related block diagrams that illustrate examples of inter-cell coexistence problems that currently exist;

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram showing a plurality of downlink signaling messages being transmitted using a PUSC mode of operation, which further illustrates an example of an inter-cell coexistence problem that currently exists;

FIG. 4 depicts a flowchart representing an exemplary method for sharing spectrum in a wireless communications network, which can be used to implement an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 depicts a simplified block diagram that illustrates a Synchronized Parallel Operation approach that may be used for channel sharing by two BSs with non-overlapping cell coverage and overlapping CPE coverage, in accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 depicts a simplified block diagram that illustrates a Partially Interlaced Operation channel sharing approach that may be used by a first BS with overlapping cell coverage with a neighbor BS, in accordance with a second example embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 depicts a simplified block diagram that illustrates a Partially Utilized Sub-Carriers channel sharing approach that may be used by a first BS with overlapping cell coverage with a neighbor BS, in accordance with a third example embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for sharing spectrum in a wireless communications network, comprising the steps of: determining if two base stations in the wireless communications network are to share a frequency spectrum;if two base stations in the wireless communications network are to share a frequency spectrum, determining if the two base stations in the wireless communications network have non-overlapping wireless communications coverage;if the two base stations in the wireless communications network have non-overlapping wireless communications coverage, determining if a first mobile communications unit associated with a first base station of the two base stations has wireless communications coverage that overlaps with wireless communications coverage of a second mobile communications unit associated with a second base station of the two base stations; andif the first mobile communications unit has wireless communications coverage that overlaps with wireless communications coverage of the second mobile communications unit, enabling the two base stations to use a synchronized parallel operation spectrum sharing mode for communications.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: if the two base stations in the wireless communications network do not have non-overlapping wireless communications coverage, determining if the second base station is enabled to use a predetermined spectrum sharing mode for communications; andif the second base station is enabled to use the predetermined spectrum sharing mode for communications, enabling the first base station to use the predetermined spectrum sharing mode for communications.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: if the two base stations in the wireless communications network do not have non-overlapping wireless communications coverage, determining if the second base station is enabled to use a predetermined spectrum sharing mode for communications;if the second base station is not enabled to use the predetermined spectrum sharing mode for communications, determining if the wireless communications network includes a predetermined number of neighbor base stations associated with the first base station; andif the wireless communications network includes the predetermined number of base stations associated with the first base station, enabling the first base station to use a partially interlaced operation spectrum sharing mode for communications.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: if the two base stations in the wireless communications network do not have non-overlapping wireless communications coverage, determining if the second base station is enabled to use a predetermined spectrum sharing mode for communications;if the second base station is not enabled to use the predetermined spectrum sharing mode for communications, determining if the wireless communications network includes a predetermined number of neighbor base stations associated with the first base station;if the wireless communications network does not include the predetermined number of base stations associated with the first base station, determining if the first base station has a time-sensitive application to be executed; andif the first base station has a time-sensitive application to be executed, enabling the first base station to use a partially utilized sub-carriers spectrum sharing mode for communications.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency spectrum comprises at least one of a frequency band, a sub-band, a channel, a sub-channel, a carrier, and a sub-carrier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency spectrum comprises a television channel, and the wireless communications network comprises a Cognitive Radio-(CR)-based network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first base station and the second base station comprise a plurality of neighbor base stations or neighbor cells.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile communications unit comprises a first customer premises equipment unit and the second mobile communications unit comprises a second CPE unit.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined spectrum sharing mode comprises at least one of a contention-based spectrum sharing mode, a partially utilized sub-carriers spectrum sharing mode, and a partially interlaced operation spectrum sharing mode.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined number of base stations comprises three, two or one base stations.

11. A method for neighbor cells to share a channel in a cognitive radio-based communications network, comprising the steps of: determining if at least two cells in the network have overlapping radio coverage;if at least two cells in the network have overlapping radio coverage, a first cell of the at least two cells determining if a second cell of the at least two cells intends to use a predetermined channel sharing mode for communications, and if the second cell intends to use the predetermined channel sharing mode, enabling the first cell to use the predetermined channel sharing mode for communications; andif the at least two cells in the network do not have overlapping radio coverage, determining if the at least two cells have associated customer premises equipment units that have overlapping radio coverage, and if the at least two cells have associated customer premises equipment units that have overlapping radio coverage, enabling the at least two cells to use a synchronized parallel operation channel sharing mode of communications.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of: if the second cell does not intend to use the predetermined channel sharing mode, determining if the first cell has a predetermined number of neighboring cells; andif the first cell has the predetermined number of neighboring cells, enabling the first cell to use a partially utilized operation channel sharing mode of communications with at least one of the neighboring cells.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of: if the second cell does not intend to use the predetermined channel sharing mode, determining if the first cell has a predetermined number of neighboring cells; andif the first cell does not have the predetermined number of neighboring cells, enabling the first cell to use a partially utilized sub-carriers channel sharing mode of communications with at least one of the neighboring cells.

14. A system for sharing spectrum in a wireless communications network, comprising: a first base station arranged in the wireless communications network;a first customer premises equipment unit coupled to the first base station by a first radio air interface;a second base station arranged in the wireless communications network; anda second customer premises equipment unit coupled to the second base station by a second radio air interface, wherein the first base station is configured to:determine if the first base station and the second base station are to share a frequency spectrum;if the first base station and the second base station are to share a frequency spectrum, determine whether or not the first radio air interface and the second radio air interface overlap in communications coverage;if the first radio air interface and the second radio air interface overlap in communications coverage, determine if the second base station intends to use a predetermined channel sharing mode for communications, and if the second base station intends to use the predetermined channel sharing mode for communications, use the predetermined channel sharing mode for communications.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first base station is further configured to: determine if the first customer premises equipment unit is coupled for communications to the second customer premises equipment unit, if the first radio air interface and the second radio air interface do not overlap in communications coverage; anduse a synchronized parallel operation channel sharing mode for communications with the second base station.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising: a third base station, the third base station including a third radio air interface coupled for communications with the first radio air interface and the second radio air interface;wherein the first base station is further configured to:use a partially interlaced operation channel sharing mode for communications with at least one of the second base station and the third base station.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless communications network comprises a communications network configured to operate in accordance with the 802.22 Working Group standard.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the spectrum comprises at least one of a band, sub-band, channel, sub-channel, carrier, and sub-carrier.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the spectrum comprises a channel within a frequency band substantially between 54 MHz and 862 MHz.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless communications network is configured to operate in accordance with the IEEE 802.16d/e standard.